Air-hose coupling for railway-cars.



P. H. LONG. AIR HOSE COUPLING FOB. RAILWAY CARS.

APPLIOATION rum) NOV. 5, 1912. 1 070 902 Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

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10 27 g6 za 0 1 1 9g 99 94 a 1 z; I a1 2 16 9 20 a7 4- r v 22' 6 1 g0 Ii .51. 1 6 ,2? 136 I I I. H. LONG. AIR HOSE COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1912.

Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0.,wAsHlNc|'mN, D. c.

FRANK H. LONG,

OF WINNEMUCCA, NEVADA.

AIR-HOSE COUPLING FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

Specification of Ietters Eatent.

Patented Aug. 19,1913.

Application filed November 5, 1912. Serial No. 729,638.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK H. Lone, a citizen of the United States, residing at Winnemucca, in the county of Humboldt, State of Nevada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Hose Couplings for Railway-Cars; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to air hose couplings for railway cars.

The object of the invention resides in the provision of a device of the character named which will serve to automatically unite the adjacent ends of train pipe sections of an air brake system when the cars carrying such adjacent ends of the train pipe are themselves coupled.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a device of this character which will maintain the adjacent ends of the train pipe sections open in the event of the coupled cars becoming disengaged and whereby the pressure in the train pipe will .be reduced to effect the automatic operation of the brakes and prevent the liability of accident. With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail reference -will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which 2 Figure 1 is a plan view-of the coupling just previous to the movement of the parts thereof into coupling relation. Fig. 2 a view similar to Fig. 1 with the parts shown in coupling relation. Fig. 3 a side view of what is shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 1 a horizontal section of what is shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 a section on the line 55 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 a section on the line .66 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 a side view of what is shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 8 a detail perspective view of the valve locking latch associated with each head of the coupling.

Referring to the drawings the coupler is shown as comprising a pair of cooperating heads 31 and B. As each of these heads are similar in construction and are similarly mounted upon the end of a car only one of said heads will be described in detail as to the construction of same and the method of mounting the head upon the car. The head A comprises a body 10 the outer end of which terminates in majorand minor V shaped fingers 11 and 12, a resultant V- shaped recess 13 being thereby formed between the projections 11 and 12. Projecting from the inner end of the body 10 are a plurality of rods 14 which are slidably engaged through a, plate 15 supported from the car by a depending frame C. Extending longitudinally through the body 10 is a pipe 16 the outer end of which is directed laterally and opens through the side of the finger 11 adjacent the finger 12 as at 17. The side of the finger 11 surrounding the outer end 17 of the pipe 16 is provided with a layer of rubber or other suitable material 18. The body 10 is provided on its upper side with a recess 20 into which the inner end of the pipe 16 extends. Disposed in this re cess 20 and threaded through the inner end of the pipe 16 is a valve 21 for controlling the flow of air through the pipe 16. This valve 21 is also threaded to another pipe 22 which extendsrearwardly between the rods 1.4: and is slidably engaged through the plate 15. The inner end of the pipe 22 is provided with a flexible extension 23 having the usual coupling 24 on its free end for connection with the main train pipe. The valve 21 is controlled by a handle 25 and said valve is normally held in closed position by means of a spring 26 one end of which is secured to the free end of the handle 25, while the other end thereof is secured to a projection 27 mounted on the head A. Pivotally mounted on the outer end of the finger 12 is a lever 28 one end of which extends into the recess 13, while the other end thereof is secured to the free end of the handle 25 by a link 29. Extending through the head 10 from the topto the bottom thereof is a passage 30 in which is pivotally mounted a latch 31 for cotiperation with the handle 25, said lat-ch being adapted to hold the handle 25 in position to maintain the valve 21 open against the influence of the spring 26. The latch 31 is normally held in locking position by means of a spring 32, one end of which latter is secured to the lower end of the latch while the other end thereof is secured to the body 10. Rotatably mounted on the plate is a transverse shaft 83 each end of which is provided with a crank 34 for eticcting the manual rotation thereof. This shaft 33 is also provided with an arm which is connected by a chain 36 with the lower end of the latch 31 whereby said latch may be moved to released position with respect to the handle by the rotation of the shaft Mounted on the upper side of the finger 11 at the outer end thereof is a pin 3? which is adapted for cooperation with the lever 28 of the cooperating head B as said heads are moved to coupling relation. Disposed between the rods it and encircling the pipe is a spring 38 one end of which bears against the plate 15, while the other end thereof bears against the inner end of the body 10.

Assuming the heads A and E to he in the position shown in Fig. 1 the operation, upon moving said heads to coupling relation will be as follows. The linger l1 oi the head A will more into the recess 13 of the head B and the finger ll of the head 13 will move into the recess 13 oi the head A. During this movement of the heads A and B the pin 37 of the head B will operate the lever 28 of the head A to open the valve 21. of said head it. Likewisc'the pin 37 of the head A will operate the lever .28 of the head B to open the valve 21. of the head B. The ends 17 of the pipes 16 having previously passed into communication it will be apparent that the connection of: the train pipe line between adjacent cars is thereby etlected. As the handles 95 of the heads A and B are moved to open respective valves 21. it will be appar out that said handles will be locked against the influence of respective springs 26 by respective latches 31 so that in the event the heads A and B should become separated the train pipe pressure will he immediately reduced and the brakes automatically set. In order to release the handles oi the head B I for movementto ciiect the closing the valves operating heads, said heads having their ends provided with outwardly tapering fingers adapted to move into interlocking relation when said heads are moved toward each other, an air pipe line mounted in each head and provided. at one end with means for con nection. to a train pipe and having their other ends opening through adjacent sides of respective fingers of said heads and adapted to be disposed in registration when the heads are interlocked, a valve in each of said pipe lines, means normally holding said valve in closed position, means operated by the moveopening said valve, and a latch automatically locking said valve in open position when the heads are moved into interlocking relation.

2. In an air hose coupling, the combination of a pair of yieldingly supported cooperating heads, said heads having their outer ends provided with outwardly tapering fingers adapted to move into interlockward each other, an air pipe line mounted in each head and provided at one end with means for connection to a train pipe and having their other ends opening through adjacent sides of respective lingers of said head and adapted to be disposed in registration when the heads are interlocked, a valve in each of said pipe lines, a handle on each of said valves, a spring constantly tending to operate said handle to a position to close said valve, a lever pivoted on each head, a link connecting one end of each lever with the Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of fatents, Washington, D. G.

ment of said heads to coupling position for ing relation when said heads are moved tohandle or the valve mounted on the same 

